Beyond The Pitch

Still the last of the undefeated in Europe, the Bayern Munich assault on the Bundesliga and beyond has placed the team in a unique chase for some vaunted history while the J League opened this past weekend with a harsh lesson dished out to Cerezo Osaka and its impressive new piece in Diego Forlan as the top flight in Japan resumed in a World Cup year with many questions. We begin nowhere else but the talk of Bayern Munich as its domination of German football extends beyond the German borders and into some very rare history in the chase for consecutive titles in Europe and an unbeaten streak last touched nearly a generation ago. Broadcaster Tim Caple weighs in on both the strengths and also the one weakness that opponents must consider along with the emergence of Thiago, the return of Bastian Schweinsteiger, the tease of the Toni Kroos contract and a future for the Bundesliga which appears even more dire as the Bavarian club now holds such an economic stranglehold on top talent both domestically and abroad that can only be challenged by the likes of the top buyers. We also take a look at the brothers Boateng and where this Bayern team could rank if Guardiola can take them to that next step. In part two Ken Matsushima weighs in on the start of the 2014 J.League to weigh up the favorites, the arrival of Diego Forlan and what early days suggest, along with the key questions going into a season that will be disrupted by player moves and a World Cup that could see another surprise champions as in years past. We also revisit the 1989 Intercontinental Cup to track back to a moment in football history to gauge its impact on the Japanese and world game, inspiring a generation of top level Japanese talent that now has turned its eyes to Europe.

A huge supershow is in store as three great guests are armed and loaded to bring some of the top analysis into some of the biggest football clubs seeking silverware or rebirth as the key business end of the season now comes into view, each with Champions League expectations and each defying their own best-case scenarios as key matches and objectives arrive this week. We begin nowhere else but Arsenal where the odd impressions of Mezut Ozil endure and whether Arsene Wenger may need to give his star acquisition some extra time to acclimate to his new surroundings in the Premier League. Ben Lyttleton helps us separate fact from fiction in the matter of the German international playmaker in year one at the Emirates and then we venture into the always larger-than-life world of Jose Mourinho as he takes on his nemesis in the media and turns the tide on a Premier League still open for the taker. Graham Ruthven arrives to extend the talk into Chelsea, whether Mourinho should actually be trusted when he says that the Blues are not the favorite and we examine the revival for John Terry once again as title now comes into view. Also discussed amongst our guests is the impact of Nemanja Matic, the arrival of Eden Hazard as an emerging force in Europe and how the biggest reclamation project yet might just be David Luiz who has begun to develop under The Special One. We also get a preseason look at the New York Cosmos as they seek to build upon their first year success, having secured the services of Marcos Senna while looking to strengthen two key parts of the squad. In the final segment, transfer specialist David Amoyal helps us preview the massive clash at San Siro on Sunday as Clarence Seedorf and AC Milan host eternal rivals Juventus in the big match from Italy. We examine whether a corner has turned for the Rossoneri already under its former star at the helm, what a very important off-season could bring, and what some of the reported moves behind the scenes suggests for a superclub already under transformation. A key juncture in the season deserves a supershow and we have assembled three top guests with great insights and opinions across a number of the football clubs featured by the network.

This is the premiere for One World Sports where Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Arsenal and AC Milan enter their first tests in the knockout rounds of the UEFA Champions League with a number of important questions left to be answered both in the short and longer term, where key players and several managerial decisions with certainly impact the outcomes. We examine the decisions before Pep Guardiola and his defending champion Bayern Munich side and how the absence of Franck Ribery will be addressed but even more importantly how Philip Lahm will be deployed and whether the biggest tests now lurk ahead. Then we examine how Arsenal has continued to demonstrate a defensive resilience that will appear to struggle over two legs given the physicality and pace of an opponent with layers of options and a far more deeper bench in terms of quality. We also look at Jose Mourinho and Chelsea to consider whether the Blues are now the emerging dark horse in Europe given the pedigree of the manager and a team that is rapidly coming together, perhaps ahead of schedule. Also in this episode is the massive test for Clarence Seedorf against Atletico Madrid, but also a key moment for his turbulent superstar Mario Balotelli who must now take the next big step or risk his reputation with the Rossoneri faithful in a key spot. In segment two we preview the key stories involving the start of the J League and AFC Champions League and whether the addition of new stars like Diego Forlan could be a signal of a response to the real threat posed by several Chinese Super League clubs in the future.

International football over the past week has been faced with all kinds of challenges including more protests in Brazil and the ongoing readiness of stadiums for the World Cup this summer, but beneath those events were two important milestones which include the candidacy of Jerome Champagne for FIFA President in 2015 and the sudden resignation of Sandro Rosell at Barcelona FC which point to one clear problem inside the sport. A governance culture that continues to run amok and unregulated, armed with loads of ideas, but failures to address its core problem with conflicts of interest. Joining to discuss these matters and more is David Larkin of ChangeFIFA and we begin by examining the potential of a Champagne candidacy, what it signals and what are the considerations given that he has positioned himself as an outsider or change candidate, yet personal history does suggest otherwise. We dig into some of the politics, the endorsement by Pele which suggests that his candidacy may ultimately have wings, and whether past associations to Sepp Blatter further complicates both his viability and the politics behind the scenes. FIFA and Champagne also have the matter of a new statute that prohibits outside candidates from entering the election process, so we examine this development in light of the politics and the political process along with whether there is a plan in place to move Blatter to an honorary position in light of the Havelange history in the organization. We also examine new revelations into the matter of Sandro Rosell and Barcelona, and how his problems may not be necessarily tied to the matter of the Neymar transfer, but rather may be the result of years associated with Ricardo Texiera and the ISL business which may or may not be illegal, yet call into question whether player and national team match deals between Brazil and Qatar may indeed have served as a means to circumvent FFP regulations. We close on a bit of a silver lining in the case of FIFPro who clearly have turned something of a corner and have begun to show itself as far more willing to engage football administrators on the matters of transfers, employment fairness beyond the celebrity class of player and minimizing the risks that players endure all over the world with very little support and monitoring.

With the sale of Juan Mata to Manchester United, the transfer window finally delivered the pressure point that it had sorely lacked in the earliest stages, but it also has spawned a number of talking points from whether the move was a case of strengthening a rival versus buying the right player to address some needs, and then there was always a financial calculus that could even play out into this next summer. For now the situation is much more simple in that Jose Mourinho has moved on a player who did not fit what his version of Chelsea requires, and added to two more wide threats who appear to have more to offer his system and would seem to signal a turn in outlook as both he and Manuel Pellegrini look to isolate an Arsenal side that has defied the odds all season. Janusz Michallik is on hand to help us dissect these factors and many more as we did into the matter of David Moyes who continues to struggle in year one with both personnel and philosophy, Arsene Wenger who clearly has found a new balance to Arsenal that has resisted every challenge thus far, but always with one eye on Jose Mourinho who may have finally turned the important corner with a team that could compete on any front. We also examine the challenges facing Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid and whether he will have to begin prioritizing his objectives given that he does not have a very deep squad with a once in a generation opportunity to capture La Liga with Real Madrid occupied with the Champions League and Barcelona suddenly distracted with controversy and challenged with untimely injury and problems bubbling just beneath the surface. We also examine the evolving world for young managers cast into the high pressure world of football management, identify the best of the emerging class to examine what several of these examples have in common, and then apply what is known about Clarence Seedorf and what his challenge really is in the short term as AC Milan attempts to rebuild from the wreck of a Ground Zero season on the edge.

Now that Liga MX Clausura 2014 has begun in Mexico there are no shortage of impact factors that will face not only the professional league, but also the rapidly pressurized world surrounding Miguel Herrera who has even more questions to answer in advance of some very important fixtures that will both shape and define what the Mexico National Team should or could look like once the big moment arrives in June at the World Cup. Joining Anto to discuss these matters and a new wrinkle in the foreign player rules for Mexican football is journalist and commentator Martha Guerra to help us untangle and examine what the ramifications really are within the greater context of tradition and actual application of these rules. Nowhere else but Chivas will these question gain the most traction as the club continues to flirt with relegation after a long line of poor decisions, uneven performances and yet a clear unwillingness to evolve with these changes. We also examine the early days for Antonio Mohammed at America where early fixtures have revealed both an unsteadiness and even some promise having avenged their loss in the Final to Leon, and we even take an early look at some emerging contenders. But the biggest questions here are about economic trends, evolution of the Mexican game and then always the massive decisions facing Miguel Herrera who must now decide whether to continue on the path that led to success in the playoff matches with New Zealand, where he relied on those domestic players, or whether he will reach out again for the European class of players who could deliver some quality for improved competition once the matches begin in Brazil this summer. The answers are never simple in Mexico given the battles behind the scenes between some massive names and their politics and once again Miguel Herrera seems destined to serve the interests of too many masters behind the scenes.

Midweek all across Europe has been overwhelmed by transfer moves and misdirection, surprising domestic cup results, but in no other league but Serie A can the calamities, controversies and conspiracy theories reign so supreme as they do in Italy - and in the maelstrom of this winter period comes the start-stop musical chairs saga involving Mirko Vucinic and Fredy Guarin at the break. We examine the net effect of this disaster for Inter in its dealings with Juventus and what it may signal in terms of the futures for Marco Branca, Massimo Moratti and even the new Internazionale president himself, Erick Thohir, who seems to have turned up lacking for his first transfer window in charge of the Nerazzurri. Should this be the point where Inter now turns the page and begins unloading as many veterans as it can and what next for club stalwarts like Zanetti and Cambiasso who must look at Antonio Conte and Clarence Seedorf as trends in this ever changing league where club legends are suddenly returning to take the reigns. In part two we examine the ongoing troubles at Manchester United with a very different kind of analysis, breaking down the top-eight clubs of today in their battle with one another and yet more significant trend emerges - this ongoing problem for David Moyes in his Premier League career where he has often turning up lacking against the very top of the league since his days at Everton. These are the valuable six point matches that define a season, and that is also where Manchester City and Chelsea now show their dominance with a rather remarkable Everton already exceeding what they did in this part of the table a year ago. In part three we take a pitstop into the return of the Bundesliga with some amazing results posted by Bayern Munich in the first half, further reinforcing the perception that Germany is no longer a competition, but a coronation for the defending champions. We also have an important announcement for the show, taking BTP in another direction, take a listen, we are on our way to even bigger things in 2014.

Irish media personality, broadcaster, author, sports pundit and former professional footballer Eamon Dunphy joins Phil and Anto for another look into the soul of the game through recent events not only with the Ireland National Team and Manchester United, but also through the looking glass of his most recent book which examines his passionate life and the controversy which often surrounded him. Seen as one of the most entertaining football pundits throughout his career, no commentator in the realm of sport, politics and culture has divided opinion so much, nor continues to deliver the kind of deep introspection and examination as Eamon as done in this latest work - The Rocky Road - which has been received with wide praise for its brutal honesty and indelible standard. We also examine the ongoing debate in Irish football in the wake of a divisive Giovanni Trapattoni tenure, then what a new and ambitious team in Martin O`Neill and Roy Keane could represent in settling a long standing debate on how Ireland should approach the next round of European qualifiers. Also examined are recent events at Old Trafford where the transition from Sir Alex Ferguson to David Moyes continues to show cracks in the foundation and what this could mean for the first year manager as issues involving direction for the club in concert with its finances and objectives have clearly had an impact on early success and poses longer competitive threats for Manchester United. As always, Eamon provides some harsh yet clear insight into what he sees as the core problem and what the outlook could be for not only David Moyes, but also the Glazier family who appear to value profit over performance at this very delicate stage in club history.

Every winter it seems we learn something new about a team in the chase for the Premier League title where it either confirms something unexpected or a new development that must be considered as the transfer window does become a factor, and joining us to explore that very question is award-winning Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling who helps us glance under the hood with Arsenal. For most of the early part of the season much has been said about the depth and quality at striker, but beneath that talking point has been the emergence of a solid defence with surprising resilience that helped Arsene Wenger negotiate the curves and misfortunes only amplified by the loss of Theo Walcott. We also glance into the matter of the Ross Barkley injury at Everton and what that could do to season expectations at Goodison Park and how critical his extended absence could be on a team with some depth yet certainly not blessed with exceptional options should further attrition takes its untimely toll. Also in focus here are the ongoing concerns for Manchester United as the transfer window beckons and what exactly must be in serious thought behind the scenes for Wayne Rooney as a new contract has entered the picture and the transition has not yet gone into full gear. We also examine the outlook for the England national team in terms of how Roy Hodgson could approach his final roster come June, and then comes a new question on the horizon and that is whether The FA and Hodgson would be willing to re-open the door to John Terry given an unresolved past transgression and with full knowledge that his veteran presence would be needed to give a young defensive unit the leadership and guile so desperately required should England have a hope of making a bit of noise come the knockout rounds.

With the weekend action complete, the main storylines in football took no respite as the entire football world landed in Zurich to hand out the top player awards which resulted in a monumental evening for Cristiano Ronaldo and many of the elite players currently plying their trade in Europe, but there are still lingering questions about the nature of the individual awards and whether team accomplishment needs to be accounted for in the selection criteria. We examine these matters and several others in segment one as the voting results continue to reflect a process more intent on fulfilling a public relations exercise than actually determining which players are most worthy. There were some very nice touches to the ceremony and the awards themselves, and we point these out with several examples under the spotlight, but just as many concerns too as no African player was selected for the FIFA World XI and we gauge the worthiness of several examples found both inside the room and those left outside of the process. In part two comes an even more important story as Clarence Seedorf takes the reigns at AC Milan, nearly five months ahead of schedule as he has been the long standing favorite to replace Max Allegri by club owner Silvio Berlusconi, first detailed on this show more than a year ago now, and why the retired Dutch legend makes so much sense at a club like AC Milan, while acknowledging the many challenges that are sure to face him in the coming months. We dig into what it takes to be successful with the Rossoneri, examine the key relationship with Berlusconi himself, why Allegri really failed in the bigger picture, and what will be the key linchpin for a successful tenure for Clarence Seedorf in the coming years. In closing we take a look at the thrilling match between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona at the weekend, discuss the emergence of Diego Simeone and the key players who held Barcelona scoreless, leaving both clubs tied at the summit on 50 points at the halfway point of the current La Liga season.

The off-season suddenly takes a quick and newsworthy turn as Toronto FC takes the lead with two huge player deals that look to tilt the balance of power in the Eastern Conference, but also deliver another US National Team player in Michael Bradley in his peak years in advance of the 2014 World Cup, lifting a window to a few important questions about its implications both for him and a league seeking additional star power at a time when a framework for a new TV contract comes into view. We begin with the real and present possibility that Clint Dempsey was the beginning of a new strategy by MLS to seize upon the popularity found within the event viewing audience of the national team during a tournament year, and whether this trend could continue well into summer as the league seems ready to use allocation and retention funds to expedite these player moves with elevated transfer fees. Then we turn to the matter of a new TV deal with details emerging by the day on its value and duration in terms of years and digital media rights, done in tandem with US Soccer matches to fully leverage those lucrative rights. In the final section we also look back at the recent Jason Kreis press conference introducing him as the first manager of New York City FC and we dig into some of the large and undervalued considerations that await this club as it seeks to leverage both the Manchester City brand and all that entails, while also conforming to the real and pressing concerns of building a franchise from the ground up within the financial ecosystem of Major League Soccer. We examine the advantages and some of the bigger concerns awaiting Jason Kreis and Claudio Reyna in the months ahead.

Yes, strange and unfamiliar times surround Manchester United as the losses continue to lead to more questions about a team that had plenty of emerging concerns in recent years, but also new questions are beginning to be raised about whether these struggles run a bit deeper than the word explanation - transition - and if a number of untended areas have come home to roost. How deep does this crisis appear to be and what should David Moyes do next knowing that winter arrivals are being tempered down at the moment and knowing that the potential of adding real quality to this United team in January was always going to be a large request. We walk through some of these issues, dig into some financials in the area of player investment over the longer term, where the real answers do appear when compared to percentage of revenue over consecutive eight year cycles. After a short break former Norway and Middlesborough striker Jan Aage Fjortoft joins to give us his take on the arrival of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Cardiff City on the heels of the fallout between Malky Mackay and owner Vincent Tan, discuss the signings of Magnus Wolff Eikrem and Mats Moller Daehli, with the former Norway midfielder following Solskjaer yet again, back to British football. We examine what Cardiff supporters can expect in terms of the kind of football that Solskjaer likes to employ, a deeper look into the Eikrem signing and also take a moment to reflect on the appointment of former US National Team manager Bob Bradley at Stabaek IF in the Tippeligaen, or Norwegian first division, itself a landmark signing for American coaches overseas. In the final segment we review the harsh realities before Cardiff City, Solskjaer and Vincent Tan and then turn our full attention to the crippling blow to Arsenal at a key moment in the season, having lost Theo Walcott at precisely the wrong moment, leaving Arsene Wenger with a big key question knowing that Manchester City has turned the corner, and what market class of striker he attempts to sign in the January window. Winter football and an upcoming set of fixtures appear to have dampened the outlook, but there is an opportunity for Arsenal to reinforce and remain in the chase should one of the favorites find themselves at the wrong end of an untimely fall.

On the heels of another dominating performance by Juventus over Roma in the match of the weekend, many of the same questions will be asked about the challengers yet the more pressing matter truly remains whether Serie A is in such a period of transition that the title race was always going to be something of a coronation again in 2013-14. Essentially every club in Italy outside of the defending champion who normally would provide some real threat is in some form of transition or with a first year manager or, in the case of the two Milan giants, is at a point where huge questions must be asked as both struggle to turn the corner on their rebuilding plans. At the core of this discussion is what has separated Juventus from the pack during this chase for its third consecutive Scudetto and where the club stands in relationship with the top teams in Europe and whether the real story in Serie A this season is how its emerging clubs have begun to grasp onto a strong business model from which other clubs can now see a path to a stronger and more competitive league in the very near future. We also pay homage to the announced departure of Max Allegri at AC Milan at the end of the season and Anto and Phil recall a very interesting show nearly four years ago when Allegri was compared to David Moyes and the parallels become a bit too uncomfortable for the Old Trafford faithful as we close on the first segment.

As football continues to develop in all areas of Asia, a new breed of coach continues to reach abroad for bold new opportunities that would never be considered in the highly competitive world of the Europeand clubs, where younger coaches now have ventured and begin to acquire the types of experiences that are accelerating their education on a global scale. Mads Davidsen is one of those newest examples and has become a rising coach who made the move from Danish Superliga club Brøndby IF to work with Sven-Göran Eriksson inside the first city of Chinese football on the blue side of Guangzhou, China. Mads is also a scout and match analyzer and has become something of a media figure as well, delivering tactical analysis to a new audience in China reaching audience numbers nearing a million for each and every episode and he joins us in this episode to give us the ground view level of what is happening not only in the Chinese Super League, but also the emergence of new ideas and organization in a country now in the key stage of developing its football in almost lightning speed. We discuss the Chinese champions as the model for the modern AFC club, how development and academies have begun to spring up after massive investment and also examine how the region is progressing in so many ways once thought near-impossible. This includes a look at rivals Guangzhou Evergrande who are considered the pathfinders as AFC and CSL Champions, but also the evolution of the AFC Champions League and a new fan culture that is descending upon the Chinese clubs. We also explore the impact of bigger and more accomplished club managers in the Far East, how the modern player is adapting and developing with one eye on both the future for the sport and how young coaches are also developing at a higher rate given the opportunities placed before them. Has it now reached a point in China where it could be a world power in football after another 10-15 years of solid work and investment? The answer should not come as surprise after taking in this episode.

The Premier League takes a break this weekend as FA Cup action resumes after the festive period, but there are no shortage of early conclusions and trends that should not be overlooked as clubs assess either the progress or damage to their title and top four credentials while the winter transfer market is set to entice those managers in the chase. Joining us to discuss the output of this festive with an eye toward the next critical phase is Chief Football Correspondent for The Times, Oliver Kay, and we begin the examination nowhere else but Manchester United where the trend of false dawns continues to reign supreme and has begun to cement a narrative where there are just not enough players operating at top performance, leaving David Moyes a bit bare in terms of options and credible line-ups that were the staple of a Sir Alex side, aging in key spots, bare in others, with the old fear factor draining with each and every week. We also explore the situation at Arsenal which continues to display a strong resilience when the goals are not there, and that opens the question as to whether Olivier Giroud should be considered enough at the striker position if Arsene Wenger has serious title ambitions for this side. Surely there is an attractive and even gutsy allure within this Arsenal side, but firmly in the chase now are Chelsea and a remarkably talented Manchester City side who are finding key contributions from Fernandinho and defender Martin Demichelis at a critical time when there were serious questions about away form and defensive mentality on the heels of the early stages of the season. Then we turn our attention to Liverpool where Luis Suarez gets all the accolades and deservedly so, but what appears to be emerging at Anfield under Brendan Rodgers is a first indication that a team is truly being built for the longer term and that the progress might just be a step or two ahead after topping the table briefly, with a real sense that top four is no longer out of the realm of possibility given the nature of this Premier League. We also explore the ongoing turmoil at Cardiff City and Vincent Tan which has now led to the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who will now inherit the wrath of the largely controversial owner and we examine the career risk for the Norwegian as well as whether there were merits in sacking Malky Mackay given that the owner himself has been viewed as an even bigger derailing force. We then close on the matter of another key appointment in Tim Sherwood at Tottenham which reflects the ongoing struggle to find the right long term plan since Harry Redknapp departed from the football club and we reflect on whether the real issues reside deeper in the market moves that have forced a series of two annual transitions where both the sales of Modric and Bale have had more of an influence than the managers themselves.